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January 13, 2009

One Rule for a Flat Stomach!

Really, there's just one rule?

And if we follow it, we can all have a flat stomach?

You've seen the ads all over the internet. They're almost, but not quite as annoying as the woman with the fakest looking wrinkles ever in the history of fake wrinkles, who gets her face magically erased, over and over and over again. (God I HATE THAT AD!!!)

At least the "1 Rule" ad doesn't usually come with a picture, but it's still all over the place. It says there's 1 rule for a flat stomach, and you must Obey it. If you do, you will lose one pound a day, or eleven pounds in two weeks, or 45 pounds in 12 weeks. Whatever. Bottom line: you'll shed buckets of belly fat in no time flat.

Just one simple rule! Do you know what it is? Seems like if it was that powerful, we'd all have heard about from other, more reputable sources. But still... what could they be referring to? Could there really be some simple principle we've all been overlooking?

So raise your hands... (Virtually, that is--unless you want the folks at work looking at you funny). How many of you smart, educated, sophisticated, health-conscious, discerning Cranky Fitness readers just couldn't help yourself and finally had to click on the link to find out the One Rule?

I did.

After swearing to myself, over and over, that I would not let curiosity get the better of me and send traffic (and thus, money) to whatever sleazy entity no doubt lurked behind the come-ons, I finally couldn't help it.

So you want to know what the secret is? As a public service, Cranky Fitness will tell you, so you can avoid soiling yourself by clicking on any of these slimy ads.

Hi Anna! Hi Pam! Hi Brook!

Here's what happens when you click on the "1 rule" ad: you usually end up at someone's blog or web page. There you find out the secret, which we will now reveal.

The secret is buying the right combination of weight loss products. The funny thing is, the products change, so the "1 rule" is really "many rules!" Sometimes it is an acai berry thing and a colon cleanser. Sometimes it Wu Yi, or a mysterious fat burning concoction called Slim 365. Do these products work? Well, they must, right, just look at the photographic evidence!

Photographic Proof the One Rule Is Totally Awesome and Effective

What more do you need? Here is a picture of Pam Burgess, from Burlingame, California. She has 2 kids and a wonderful husband. She lost 45 pounds using a combination of two free trial products she saw on TV! Here is a picture of her in July and another one three months later.

Pam in July, and 3 months later

Still skeptical? Well, there's more proof:

Here's Anna Matthews, who also has 2 kids and a wonderful husband. She also lost 45 pounds using a combination of two free products she saw on TV. Here is a picture of her in October, and another one three months later.

Anna in October, and 3 months later.

Isn't that amazing? Two entirely different women, using different versions of the 1 Rule, with such amazingly similar results! So see, there's nothing at all fishy here to worry about.

Endorsed by Oprah, WebMD, Dr. Oz, and CBS!

Depending on the ad you get, you can read the less questionable claim that some of the ingredients of these products have received favorable attention in the press. But some versions take it further and claim the products themselves are being touted by folks who would obviously know better. WebMD, for example, has since updated its acai berry article to make clear that there is little research supporting the weight loss claims, but it's still being held up as a major endorser of these products.

Scam Scam Scam Scam

Regular readers of Cranky Fitness do not need me to tell them these ads are bogus. But many folks out there do not have the time, energy, or motivation to educate themselves about what it takes to lose weight in a healthy and realistic way. Others know damn well what it takes, but don't want to face the depressing reality of eating less and exercising more. They allow wishful thinking to take over and they order this crap and hope for the best.

Here is a link explaining how at least some of acai berry weight loss scams work. But the fact that I even clicked on one of the little f*ckers just shows you how even the sleaziest of come-ons can be tempting to check out.

Ick, I feel so dirty!!!

Heard of any other Creepy Weight Loss solutions you want to warn folks about? Ever been taken in by one?

207 comments:

I find it interesting that losing forty-five pounds is enough to fit both of your legs in a pair of your old fat pants. I mean, who knew? I mean, on the cover of Pasta Queen's book, that pant leg looks a bit tight and she lost like 190 lbs?

Catchy opening pic, it took me about 10 minutes to actually read what you wrote! (hubba hubba)

After hearing all the acai buzz, I admit I thought about buying it. Could it really hurt? Or all the stupid info-mercials for bizzare exercise equipment that electrocutes your abs. (You too can have the abs of your dreams without all the work!!!) But the one I really hate is the commercial for "crunch free" abs. The beautiful blonde girl is on there spouting off how she just loves her abs, yes she loves her abdominals... whatever. I am quite sure I have a six pack of abs underneath the layer of flub. Well maybe just a 2-liter, but whatever!

All the products and commercials suck but who would by their crap if they told the truth and said "you have to diet and exercise and its gonna be hard and painful if you want to look like this". Not me!!!

I for one know that this stuff works. Why just last week alone I dropped 53 lbs by simply changing from what I usually eat to a very satisfying bat guano juice that filled me up and had no lasting hunger effects. Each night before I went to sleep, I also made sure I put the adhesive backed foot covers on to pull the excess toxins through my soles. Every day I awoke to find the pounds literally melted away and I could no longer fit in my clothes. No exercise for me and now I drive a new car and my wife is jealous of all the women that turn their head when I walk by.

Blech. Diets ads are effective in weight loss only because the sight of them makes me want to hurl on the monitor. And when I see them on the TV I pick up heavy objects and toss them at the screen.

My favorite before/after shots are those that show a black woman as the 'before' and a white woman as the 'after' so not only does (insert random diet scam here) work at weight loss but it changes your pigmentation too! Someone should tell Micheal Jackson about that.

It took me a while to finish the article I ket getting distracted by the first photo...um...what? Oh right. Ahem. I too lost 30 lbs in one month...by lopping off a limb.I'm super skeptical....when I was in university I worked with a girl who lost a crapload of weight really quickly using some diet pills she got from a magazine...and then was in the hospital for a week or so because she damaged her heart from them. You know the mad thing? She thought it was worth it, because she was finally thin!Insane...I learned the hard way that it is a bit of hard work and discipline to do most things worthwhile. I'm always skeptical when it looks too easy. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment? :)

haha I was thinking the same thing as Fooled - DANG - 45 pounds is HALF her size. Um, no.

I hear you - people are always looking for the easy way out. Always. I personally was always scared of pills and weird diets - not scared for health, but scared "i'd gain it all back and then some" like people used to say.

But thanks for letting me know what happens when you click! I figured it gave you a computer viris (always the skeptic).

Crabby, thanks for checking this for us. I am always curious, from an intellectual perspective, about the latest health-compromising craze. This is bad and awful. The apple cider vinegar capsule diet is my baseline for bad, but I don't think it was harmful. This one, or versions thereof, seems like it might be.

GREAT blog today! I always enjoy your blogs and I especailly enjoy this one. I actually read a blog on sparkpeople the other day of one of those scam companies took her before and after pics off of her very on sparkpeople page and used it for one of those scam ads.

Well, I was definitely pulled in by that first photo though he is a little breasty (I guess those aren't really breasts.

Then I thought I'd read about the miracle and then I found out it's the same b.s. and no I have never bought into one of those miracles. I only buy into numerous miracles at one time in hopes of a skinny, flat stomach after having 15lbs worth of twins 30 years ago.

Ain't gonna happen. Oh, except when I lay down, my stomach goes flat and as long as no one is underneath me, I'm a shining star of stomachtery flatness.

The other day an infomercial for the Bender Ball came on TV. This woman was saying/whining "I love my abs... I love my belly." And I said "oh please, shut up!". And my husband looked at me and said "oh yeah, we wouldn't want another woman loving her body would we?"... because I am a body image writer, ya know. It was just so annoying.

But it's so simple there's really no way to profit by it. (She said, dodging a tourbus full of homicidal marketing gurus and a hail of bullets from the pharmaceutical industry.)

Here's the one rule: change the way you eat while simultaneously getting more exercise.

How do I know? Because I'm lazy and stingy. I never wanted to spend money on a weight loss product or book. (Don't worry - I felt really guilty about being lazy, stingy, and overweight all at once.)

I was finally convinced of the one rule after my friend shed almost 100 pounds with her personal trainer. (See how stingy I am? I totally ripped off the one rule from my friend and her personal trainer. Don't worry - I feel a tiny bit of guilt about that.)

And another thing: not a rule, just an observation. I sometimes observe what thin, fit, and overweight people are doing, and try to draw conclusions about that so I can emulate that behavior. Examples: overweight people drink a lot more diet soda than thin or fit people. Fit people drink a lot of water. Fit people *like* to walk to the post office. (They aren't doing it for their health.) Here's my favorite observation - the thin and the fit indulge in dessert, but not overweight people. I used to think it was because of shame around eating desserts in public. But after observing more carefully and asking questions, I concluded that a lot of overweight people refrain from dessert because they think it's what's making them fat. News flash: it isn't.

The thing is, sadly, that these ads do work. If they didn't, you wouldn't see the ads all over the place! Everyone is always looking for the quick fix, and not everyone reads this blog (although if the posts remain of this quality, that might change!

I can't count the number of times I have *almost* clicked on those ads, knowing it was a total crock, but still terribly curious. Thanks for saving me the time. It's good to be able to refocus my temptation resistance on that batch of cookies sitting on the kitchen counter.

I don't click only because I don't want to add pennies to the account of some scam artist, and clicking give them moolah as I understand it. If I am ever actually curious, I google it separately to see wehre it goes, non-ad searching.

I will say that I take acai--and have for over year--but it's nto for weight loss. After all, it's a carbo and the juice has calories, so it's ADDING calories, not subtracting. I take it for the antioxidants, tht's all, in a berry blend with cherry and blueberry, etc. Like a vitamin supplement, only tastier. :)

I did read that legal action is being undertaken about those misleading ads (read: big fat lying liar ads). They remind me of Heidi Diaz and her scammy pictures of Russian brides that she foisted off as dieters who lost weight on her Kimkins plan.

They suck and I hope all diet scammers get a glandular disease that makes them gain 500 pounds. That would be poetic justice.

How much do I love you for doing this? Of course I have seen those ads and kinda wondered myself so thank you for saving me from dirtying my mouse by clicking thru. Hilarious analysis - this should be required reading for anyone who is tempted to buy products like this.

I know that those ads probably have to pay every time someone clicks on them, so I kind of want to click about a million times, racking up their advertising bill with no intention of buying anything. Mwahahahaha!

Tee! Hee! I've got a no1 rule to: DON'T OPEN any of those ads! That's it! Enuff said! I mean it's one thing to show the before and after pics (love your two examples - tee! Hee!), but I want to see the after after pics.... 5 years down the line when their rule no 1 of diet combo products has failed and now they have it all back plus interest.

I am so glad that you took the time to share that number one rule with us. My life is forever changed.

I'm a little obsessed with diet and fitness books, ads, and infomercials. I bought a book on clearance at the grocery store last year called something like "The Final Makeover." (The last makeover you'll ever need...and it was at the grocery store so you know it's on the level.) The book talked about the secret of "Before" and "After" photos...how the "after" photo is usually taken first, and then the model--if it's even the same person--gets paid to be lazy and eat junk for a few weeks so they can take the "before" picture. I'll never trust another set of those again...

So I wonder what the true identity of poor (but thin) headless woman is? I immediately assume there is some poor diet blogger out there trying to push a lawsuit through to get her pictures to not be used in these scams.

Hey Crabby,If I follow this one rule for a flat stomach, does that mean I get the rest of the man attached to that top photo as well? I know the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but that's no help if all I get is what I see :(

Miracle Fruit Plus. A tablet that magically makes everything taste sweet. You can apprently eat limes and think it tastes like Skittles. It's made from a real berry, but people are trying to spin it as something that will help you lose weight by making fruits and vegetables more pallatable and helping you reduce your sugar intake. I like the idea that some other people had - having "taste trip" parties. :)

Maybe this makes me weird, but the thing that really annoys me about these ads is the misleading "blog" format. Only fake people have commented, they mysteriously have other comments closed b/c of "spam" (how ironic) and the blogger's "weight loss journey blog" has only one entry. How interesting! I mean, there are lots of diet scams out there, but I find this format to be totally manipulative.

Okay... first of all those pictures are the same! And second, I also am currently losing weight by eating healthier and moving more. So far i have lost 22 pounds! All you have to do is get your fiber, cut out oily, fat-filled foods, and work out.

The "one rule" ads are the same scams as the "weight loss story" ads. I've listed over 138 of them and honestly I'm finding it hard to keep up with new ones that are popping up. There are at least 250 of these scam sites.

The worst part is that some of these people are flipping (selling for a profit) these sites on the Sitepoint.com marketplace.

Claimig $500-$1000 in monthly income. Think of how many people are getting scammed at that rate.

Thank you for posting about these scammers hopefully we can prevent people from being taken by them.

I was tired of seeing the same ad at all the websites I visit so I decided to look for reviews about it. I clicked on cranky fitness because that sounds like someone who I can relate to. Lo and behold, the truth is revealed about that ad. Thanks cranky fitness! You rock! P.S. I especially liked the regular cinderella post about the before and after pics! Thanks to everyone for the great posts.

Somehow I just stumbled on this website and find it utterly refreshing!!!! Finally a place where people tell the truth. I've always been skeptical about any quick loss diet plans and the only successful med out there was Phen-Fen and we all see how rapidly that was gotten off the market. The heart damage that it supposedly caused I just wonder how much of that was hype. But you have a great site and I'll be checking it frequently. Thanks for the pick me up

Hi there! I came across your site and I actually have a couple myself in a related area that I am working on and wonder if you want to do a link exchange with me. Mine are:http://abtrainerguide.com http:abloungerguide.comhttp:abdominalexerciseequipmentguide.com

If you want to you can go ahead and add my my links to your site with these titles—Ab Trainer GuideAb Lounger GuideAbdominal Exercises EquipmentThen email me back and I will do the same for you on my three sites---Thanks,Rich awundrin@gmail.com

Oh, thank you for clicking where no man or woman should have to go! I have been so tempted, and decided instead to find someone who did my dirty work for me. I think what bothers me more than the deception is the realization that the temptation came from a deep-down wish that the ads might be true. I mean, it said "as seen on Rachel Ray and CBS". It can't get any more genuine than that, can it???

I find it kind of weird that so many of these "bloggers" "discussing" their fabulous weight loss/wrinkle loss, etc. live in Yucca Valley, CA. I happen to live in Yucca Valley which is a small rural desert town (if it ain't in Walmart, you probably don't need it.) What are the odds...? When I came across my second "blog" from Yucca Valley I figured it was all a scam. As it has been for several thousand years, if you want to lose weight, you need to decrease your calories in and increase your calories out. Best wishes to all trying to lose wt.

Thanks! I pretty much knew there wasn't one rule (and another poster pointed out the only two that do work.)

I do want to disagree with one poster who said that fit people eat desert and fat people don't because they don't understand what makes them fat. I have a sugar addiction. I can eat one of almost anything else and stop, but I know that if you put donuts in front of me (or cake or pie or ...) I will finish them. SOME fat people are wrong about desserts. I am not one of them. When I succeed in breaking that habit I'll be halfway to really making a difference for myself.

I keep seeing these and just wanted to know what the BIG deal is. I googled the "obey" method (as seen on Rachael Ray!); my brother runs an internet marketing business, so I have an idea of how the ad campaigns work and didn't want to give them the benefit of a direct click-through.

So, I landed here from google and am glad I found this blog. I try to stay in shape and eat right, do an ok job, but I too am very crabby. I have to say, you are filling a great niche here. I will return as a reader, keep it up.

I really hate those "You'll lose 10lbs. in a week without the Diet & Exercise" ads!! Although, they are really tempting. I really do wish there was just 1 rule though!

Thanks for opening my eyes and giving me that slap in the face because that's pretty much what i got when i read what u wrote.

It's just so hard to exercise when you go to school and have a 3 month old baby, because you just never have any time and once you have time your too tired to do anything... I guess i better get my Lazy ass up and start working out!!

That was interesting, but those pictures that you ahve of the two women are of the same person.

:[

Also, i personally don't think that she got that wasy just by using a combonation of diet pills. Sure they would have helped, but not to that extent. I may only be 16, but i strongly believe that things like that don't really work. Pills won't do all the work for you!

I have been fooled into this lose tummy fat fast scam. I bought an acai berry product and used it religiously for five weeks. I did not see any results. Then I recieved a bank statement that the company had automatically charged me for another bottle for the next month. I called the company and got my name taken off the list. Sadly, I was suckered into this fad and did not see any difference and paid for two bottles (one of which I never recieved). Please just exercise and diet. No amount of weight loss pills will do more than what exercise and diet will do itself. Do not fall for the tricks.

I also bought these acai products which of course are not true! people do everything nowadays to sell their products!!! What I learnt from my part is to exercise at least 30 mins per day and have a healthy diet, which doesn't mean you're not allowed to integrate "junk food" or even "sweets" sometimes. If your everyday way of eating is too restricted then you'll be more tempted.. I think the "rule to a flat stomach" is to eat more properly and do sports! And please stop fooling people with your false stuff! anybody could make up a picture, everything is possible in nowaday's society with the progress of technology!

If someone wants to lose weight that incredibly fast they should try this awesome substance, much like the drugs they're already taken, it's called cocaine. That'll really slim 'em up. Or like my Aunt told me growing up, "people will sell you everything, but there are really only two healthy ways to maintain a healthy body weight- diet and excersize".

Thanks for the heads up. I had always suspected that the secret would be a scam, but found my resolve weakening. After a quick google search I found this article. Thank You for not letting me slip into the muck.

wow, everyone. i too lost almost 40 pounds in one day...all because of a new diet: labor and delivery. all you have to do is bare down and push. its AMAZING. and after only 26 hours, i went from a size 26 to a size 20. plus, and drumroll on this one, i got a fabulous prize for my efforts: and there names are michaela, micha, and michala. three bouncing, crazy baby girls that weighed in at 4lb 2oz, 4lb, and 4lb5oz. its amazing what a little blood, sweat, and tears can do. not to mention the great new diet fad: labor and delivery.

everyone should try it today. its completely free. no more spending crazy money on condoms and birth control. all you have to do is have a few drinks with your husband or significant other, lay back, relax, and, now wait, this is the most important part...promise to pull out, because the pull out method is a a sure thing...and boom. two weeks later, you too can find yourself on the road to losing 40-50 pounds in one day.

Along with this, am so tired of the 'colon cleansing' come-ons. Both online and in infomercials. Funny how the amount of supposed 'waste' you'll shed keeps increasing. First it was 15 pounds. Now in some ads, it's up to 40. Funny how doctors haven't come across this intestinal phenomenon.

I agree, though, that the pictures are very enticing but just look at the inconsistencies that were pointed out! Same thing with that acai berry nonsense (yes in the terms and conditions, it usually clearly states the exact terms but the presentation page that you fill out for the offer is usually meant to look so deceptive and give wrong implications as people endorsing a product when they never have -- like the rachel ray and acai berry weight-loss solution)

Thank you so much for posting this!! I have been tempeted a time or two to click on those adds, but knew they were scams. So I went to look it up on the net and found your post. Thanks for doing the homework so the rest of us don't get our clickers dirty!!

I called a health club and asked a trainer about that ad. She told me that the number one rule to a flat stomach is...

"You cannot target only one part of your body to lose weight from."

She was confident that that is what they're hiding behind the curtain. I think a lot of them are selling personalized diet plans, I didn't know it was products as well. (okay, yeah, I clicked around a bit before calling a pro. hehe)

I did NOT click on the ad (I did Google "Flat stomach one simple rule" and got your blog - so thanks!) You are right, if there were one simple anything we'd all have it, it would be a medical miracle and front page news. Same with miracle wrinkle erasers. Please people. Stop clicking on those ads (even for curiosity sake, unless you JUST can't help yourself). Of course they're selling a product. That's why they bought ad space on the internet.

I love your article. I came across it in a google search. Very straight forward, just eat less and exercise. You made me laugh on a very dull afternoon. If I had a blog, I'd post this article on it. Thanks again. JY

This is so interesting!! If you look closely at this ad there are 2 sets of pictures. Supposedly 2 different women. One named Pam and the other named Anna. Now if someone will please explain to me why these pictures exactly the same and the exact same women!!!!!!! Notice how you can't see their faces either.

Thanks for the post! I've seen those crazy ads for ages now. They're taking over! One time I was visiting a page with 3 different ads (Banner ad at the top, long banner on the side and a smaller button) and all THREE had that same advert! Damn i almost wish I clicked all of them to see where they went to! LOL I bet it was 3 different blogs!

But I've never clicked one of those links. I saw one today that said "As seen on ABC" and was like "LoL...right." So I Google'd "one simple rule" and found your blog. It was very helpful~! I figured it was a scam to buy products but the curiosity was killing me softly. LOL

I also absolutely love how both Anna and Pam have the same taste in both clothes and home decor!

But you can so easily tell that the picture is photo shopped. The fact that how both her legs are "in" on leg of the pants.. if you look closely that's actually just a photo of some fat person in pants because you can barely see the hint of bulging fat roll at the hip/leg joint. You can also see that horribly fake shadow behind her right (our left) arm and hair. LoL.. real shadows aren't that close to the body or that thick!

Hey Cranky, thanks for soiling yourself on the behalf of us, the great unwashed!

But in all seriousness, there may indeed be one rule to a flat belly. It is... "don't slouch". If you keep the lower back straight, not curved forward, everything else will follow. A certain (small) amount of lordosis is healthy, but the average amount is excessive.

Of course there are corollaries to this rule, and they are detailed in the book "Exercise without exercises" by Steven Arthur Devan. He wrote in the early part of the 20th century, and although his phraseology is antique, I have experienced some success with his ideas. Its not the overnight thing that the cheesy ads promise, but hey... what is?

In our area, a woman signed up for a parallel of this program. It turns out that the authors(or at least the one we heard of) get your name, family, address, and picture from your sign-up information. She was angry beyond belief, and went through the unsurprisingly tedious cancellation process. Don't go to those blogs!

I tried all the faddy diets over the years but nothing worked....then I stopped trying to lose weight over a number of days and tried over 18 months instead, choosing healthy food and a little exercise most days that I enjoyed (dancing and cycling in my case as I hate gyms). No fads, just fruit and veg, yummy but naughty things in moderation, and balance.

Result? 42 lbs. lost in 18 months, and a less stressed, fitter Kel. This type of "diet" was far easier to maintain once the weight was lost as well.

My one rule was - don't give up chocolate!! Just keep it in moderation :)

Those ads have been driving me crazy for weeks (months, even?). I was disdainful but growning ever so curious, so I googled the phrase and came here. Now I can browse the internet with a serene mind. You took one for the team!

Those ads have been driving me crazy for weeks (months, even?). I was disdainful but growning ever so curious, so I googled the phrase and came here. Now I can browse the internet with a serene mind. You took one for the team!

Those ads have been soooooo annoying! thanks for revealing the many rules to a fatass stomach!!! Love ya dude!P.S. the f###ed up part is I opened this article and on the side WAS THE ONE RULE STOMACH FAT F#CK ARCTICLE!!!!!!!!! im not f-ing kidding! the damn thing is everywhere!

I think it so funny that it is the same girl at the same house just diffrent names and diffrent months. Don't be fooled by this ad. Lose wieght the healthy way by eating right and healthy excercise. My mom lost 32 lbs just by eating healthy, and you want what diet she used the glycimic index and staying under her calorie intake of what the doctor told her wich was 1,200 calories per day, and also here's a trick i learned on tv your Goal Wieght Times 10 thats is your calorie intake you should live by (Example: 150 times 10 is 1,500)

Hang on how the hell does that work? You're saying they're two different women, when in actual fact it's the same person. You can tell just by looking at the pic, same clothes, same background and the same image shot! Why the hell do you wanna try scamming people into losing weight from what you think will work?You're just trying to scam people, you're all total idiots if you believe one single word of this crap!

I was so sure it was some tricky little thing - apple cider vinegar or chewing your food thoroughly, probiotics, enemas or colonics. I wanted to look/pay/discover but didn't. Several times over the last six months I googled to find the angel who would tell me without me hitting the link and paying. And I thought about it a lot. I thought maybe it was raw food only, chewed thoroughly and/or wheat grass, or no sugar no wheat no gluten no caseine for three months. It even crossed my mind that it might be the zone, or eat right for your blood type, or five small meals a day instead of three big ones. or two thousand little sit ups a day or its equivalent. Probiotics came up too. And/or drinking enough water - half my weight in ounces a day and lots of excercise; no caffeine no alchohol. Thinking of what an inflammmation nation we are I thought the popular anti inflammation diet would be in the top three possibilities - very few carbs or starches, lots of fish oils/salmon and healthy, raw food. well all these things at various times have worked for me.....but it's not just one thing! thanks for revealing the scam!!!!!!!

Please all let me explain to you what the 2 rule's are in achieving a flat stomach within 12 weeks! Don't load your stomach with crap but do 250 sit-ups a day, giving yourself 45 seconds inbetween every 25 sit-ups you do! the 45 seconds allow's the actual fat burning process and the 250 sit-ups overall builds the muscles. Now all that info for free what else could a true Diet addict want?....ok ok ok I'll make a pill sell it to you for £50 per bottle and still expect you to do the above! how's that, I'll even make you lose weight from your pockets too!!!

Oh, Cranky, you are hilarious! I think I'm going to like your blog! Thanks to Google for sending me to you (I queried "1 rule to a flat stomach"), and thanks to you for saving me from clicking! I knew it was a scam, but I sure was wondering what the heck it was. (My curiosity will get me in big trouble some day!) If it were only as easy (and fun!) to get in shape as it was to get out of shape! Thanks again!

Thanks for the great (and also entertaining) investigative report... And the worst thing is, that those scam machines are probably run by the disgustingly skinny Chinese (or others, doesn't matter here) who most likely laugh their heads off when they think how easy it is to fool all those unhappy and desperate people who want to have a flat stomach, like they are supposed to, because everyone on the TV says so... (I want that too, don't worry - unfortunatelly, I just found out there is no miracle pill that would make me not want sweets .... so I am drowning my sorrow in gummy bears. At least they are good for your joints. Aren't they? AREN'T THEY? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I knew it was a scam, but I sure was wondering what the heck it was. (My curiosity will get me in big trouble some day!) If it were only as easy (and fun!) to get in shape as it was to get out of shape! Thanks again!

The only time I lost that much weight in a week was backcountry camping. The bathroom was about 1/3 a kilometre one way...do you know how many times in a day you go to the bathroom. So hiking one km every time I had to pee as well as hiking half that distance to the bear lockers to get breakfast, lunch and supper and hiking canoeing and climbing a mountain....8 pounds gone poof. One simple rule climb up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down the side of a mountain. cheers

I actually clicked only once on these ads and it took me to a free forum about weight loss where all advices were legit, like reduce daily carbs, exercise, eat less sugar, walk, etc. But only once I visited that forum and could never find it again.

This morning I came across th 1 rule. Helensdiet.com and was impressed only minutes later to stumble upon mariasdiet.com. Amazingly enough both lost 47lbs of stomach fat in months, both had 2 kids and an wonderful husband. Even more mindblowing was the picture of the doctor measuring their body fat. It was the EXACT same picture right down to the smallest detail. I did not know about the sign-ups when you order the free trial. Thanks for putting this out there so honest people don't get cheated out of the money they worked so hard to obtain!!

dude, those pictures were of THE EXACT SAME PERSON. you said, "look two different people and it worked for both of them." it was believable until i saw the second picture! HELLLLLLOOOOO. WERE NOT THAT DUMB.

Brilliant thanks - these adds were realy annoying me - I once followed the links but refused to click where it required me to sign up and pay. In the mean time I lost 6 kilos in 8 weeks by going for colonics, doing a liver detox and cutting out milk and wheat products - while I dont look as good as the intro pick yet I no longer look pregnant - which is good since I'm a bloke. Thanks again for this site.

i had an aweosme idea, you take a photo of yourself now (hopefully skinny) then eat unhealthy for a few months, and get really fat(should be an enjoyable tasty experience) and take another photo, and sell it to the corporate pigs who live off these compare and contrast photos. BOOM best idea right?

So I can't help wondering why so many people who read this post think that I'm ENDORSING the one rule.

IT'S A SCAM, obviously.

Do you folks really think I can't tell that the two pictures are the same? And that I would post them as proof that the one rule works?

My saying that these obviously bogus stories and photos are "proof" that the one rule works--that was a JOKE, people!

The first time someone didn't get it and tried to point out that the pictures were the same, I thought it kinda funny. But the number of people who come down here and bother to comment without having a clue that I meant to be sarcastic is starting to freak me out.

On the upside of the Acai berry itself, it's a wonderful detox! The venom from that brown recluse spider bite I got nearly 10 years ago after treatments even my podiatrist could not cure has finally left the wound. For fat loss? not so much, for detox! acai works wonders. remember next time you might come across venomous snakes, bugs or spiders.

I actually am glad I found this site I just wish Id found it sooner than later... I was very curious about the acai berry stuff. The one where you take that and the colon cleanse well i Ordered it and then 5 minutes later called to cancel so they wouldnt charge my account and I did in fact recieve the pills. Well long story short after 3 days of taking them I figured out their little secret. They make you VOMIT! Thas why they work but not only vomit but they made me voit up BLOOD even after I finished taking them for about a week straight. I was miserable my husband thought I was dying! So i will never do anything like that again...

Or you can just do a modified Atkins or similar and you don't need to exercise too muchOver 7 months I lost 6 1/2 Stone or85lbsYou don't have to starve yourself or eat lots of horrible tasting "healthy" foodsI would do the diet for 1-2 weeks and then come of it for the weekends, as a treat, you would not believe how bloated and full you feel from a mid-high carb dietIt kills the carb cravings, sugary snacks, chocolate etc

When you start losing weight exercise becomes a lot easier, people tend to forget that exercising with an extra 50-100lbs of weight is more difficult than it is for a person weighing 100lbs

I'm not promoting Atkins, just read some sites for the basic ideas, carb limits etc, get some ketosis strips and you're ready to go, don't buy any expensive "low carb" foodsAnd remember it's a damn sight easier than starving yourself and exercising your ass off to lose 1-2lbs a week

WARNING : After too many cheese omlettes, just the smell of them will make you feel sick, believe me

Thank you for the sensible info about Acai. I was preparing to do some research about that. Even got a good magazine on that matter and but the info was not as influensive as your post. I am very glad to see such information which I was searching for.

Yes, I was stupid enough to fall for it and received the Acai Berry, which I ordered along with getting scammed into another diet pill because you get bumped into another link and then they just start sending you the stuff with no paperwork in the envelope, so the only way you can cancel is to get the number off your credit card bill. DON'T DO THIS - EVER!!!

Hey, I think it's all on the up-and-up, they just made a typo and meant to say the woman on the left is Pam and on the right is Anna. That explains why Pam has rounded shoulders and Anna straight ones; also why, after apparently dieting, Anna's arms are magically longer.

ACTUALLY: a lot of people who've commented say it's only about calories in vs calories out, or fiber and better carbs, or some other sensible regimen. Some of us, though, have messed-up metabolisms that don't respond even to really healthy diet and exercise. I'm 58 and am finding that following the Rosedale diet which is about reversing leptin (and insulin) resistance is finally making pounds come off. I'd stayed around 148 pounds, give or take a couple, for years, and now after about 18 days am down to 143. It's a bit frustrating because the 143 now seems to be a barrier I can't break, but hopefully that'll change with diligence. I haven't been taking cod liver oil like he wants because I can't handle the taste AT ALL, so I'm going to try just powering fish oil capsules throughout the day to get the several Tbsp's he recommends. Apparently the modern diet's extreme imbalance between omega-3's and omega-6's is one of the biggest culprits. Also, I managed to stop drinking Coke which has decreased my carb cravings almost entirely.

Thank you for braving that stupid site for the common good. You have provided a valuable public service. Now, for all us jellybellies who just can hoist ourselves off the couch, here's the real secret to weight loss: quit pigging out and get off your ass!

Hey I lost 45 pounds in a month and a half years ago, when my cherished boyfriend left me and I went into deep depression. I actually had physical pain about the heart area of my chest. He actually stood me up 2 weeks before the wedding. Pretended to disappear, but he had been to his sister's so I knew he was OK. This weight loss was not really diet related, because It stayed off for 6 years. I do believe there was a metabolic change of the greatest degree. The bad news was my women coworkers who always went on diets, were all excited and kept asking "how I did it". Oh, it was sick. I could have pinched their insensitive heads off. And then people treated me different like suddenly I was a worthy human being, but when I was fat, I was persona non grata . I didn't like that either.

So sorry to hear your story, Farmlady. I guess it's better to find out before the wedding that the guy was a jerk, but still, that had to hurt. Hope things are much better for you now. And thanks for stopping by.

I just found your blog and "Thank You!". We all know what the answer is, but we can't help being taken in by our curiosity - because our hope that there really is an "easy" way. What gets me are the scams that feed off that. The latest one is the one for the "Fat Burning Furnace". It promises you with "1 weird old tip to cut down belly fat". I went and listened to the malarkey in the video - but don't waste your time! They never say anything and it is a ploy to get $40 out of you. I went and researched others comments on it (on a non-affiliated site) and - lo, and behold! - what you get are common sense things like how to do high intensity workouts and eat sensibly. What is really scammy is that they put affiliate sites out there to fend off your suspicions - naturally you have doubts, right? You go and look at other comments and the majority of them are on paid affiliate sites. How can you tell? Go down to the very bottom of the site and see if they have a disclaimer to fend off the lawsuits that might come their way.Thanks again for your insights.

Thanks so much for revealing the truth. Sometimes I give in and click on those sorts of ads just to find out what the heck they are going on about (which is exactly what THEY want, darnit!). But you completely saved me from this one! Thanks!

Yes I was suckered into a different "miracle ad" a couple years ago- lose 15lbs the first week guarnteed" I went as far as to order my "free sample" which of course required a crediti card. Before I knew it I had eight bottles of "miracle diet" pills, I kept sending them back and requesting them to stop and of course it was out of Canada and they never seemed to get my request or my retuns so I had to fight through my credit card company over $460 in charges for a product I did not want or keep. The "free sample" gave me gas and nothing more. These SCAMMERS should be locked up!

Thank you so much for posting this public service. I am 5'6" and weigh 115lbs and I still was so curious about the ad I almost clicked, just to see what they would say! I especially appreciate your HILARIOUS insight about Pam and the other happy consumer that both lost 45lbs in 3 months and suddenly were able to fit into one leg of their previously well-fitting jeans!

Thank you Cranky Fitness, I found your blog and I am glad that you tell us about all these awful weight loss products. I was looking for a way to loose few pounds, there are so many product around and one will not know which product is good. Luckily I found your site. Thank you so much.

Thank you, anonymous! Was beginning to wonder if there were any intelligent googlers left on the web. This post seems to be a magnet for the totally clueless. And yeah, it does kinda explain how those "one rule" scams keep going. Sigh.

The real scam is not the failure of the diet, tooth whitening or whatever 'free' product magically combines with another to get incredible results.

The scammers do not care one bit if the product does nothing - they just want to get your credit card number so they can trick you with fine print into joinging a "program" that sends you 2 monthly products that you will be charged $160 each month for.

Good luck trying to send anything back or cancel like they claim you can do - they just dodge your calls and when the complaints finally reach the level where authorities get interested, it's off to the next LLC and the next scam.

Wake up, 'too good to be true' is a golden certainty in today's anonymous internet society.

The only way I've ever lost significant weight is to follow Dr. Neal Barnard's plan for Type II diabetics and using the alkaline/acid food chart for your grocery list, eat from the left side (alkaline plant foods - fruit & veggies - 80%) and the right side acidic animal foods 20% (mostly animal as well as alcohol, coffee, dairy (sometimes I make exceptions for eggs and cheese). Eat every 4 hours (or right before you usually would be hungry) to reduce food cravings. AND walk an hour every day in your neighborhood. You will not only be healthier, you will look better and have better skin. I am 78 years old and healthier than I was at 40. I don't take one single prescription or nonprescription drug.

Ms Gullable....Hey, thanks for sleuthing..I ALMOST got reeled in by that disembodied, cheery scam voiceover. Yeuck...these internet frauds are minefields..eat half as much and exercise twice as much is really the only way....!

Just a thought & - if "physical education" teachers (AND the physical "education" programs in schools -either of today or yesteryear) weren't so sadistic, (such as *forcing* children to run laps - esp. if they're overweight & it's hard enough just to walk laps, or expecting *every* student to perform to a certain level "or else"...or else get an "F", get mocked, get yelled at by the teacher) or limiting (as in to 1 activity that ALL must do, not offering at least a small variety of physical activities for different athletic abilities/body sizes/interests, etc.) Wouldn't it be nice if we weren't all *FORCED* to exercise as children? How about gently encouraged instead, to find some activities a child truly enjoys? And why should children be *graded* in P.E.? Today, because of sadistic "P.E." teachers I absolutely HATE exercise! It's my former teachers who FAILED & now get "F"'s from me! I can only wonder if they later got their payback and were forced to run laps - in an unconditioned state of fitness - in 95 degree temps or more until they were so tired they fell to laying on the ground, mouth parched dying for water, cramps in body, only to be yelled at to "KEEP GOING!!!" Let alone other things bordering on daily sexual harrasment/emotional abuse. Oh yeah...LOVE that (P)hysical (E)xercise!

I am also disturbed by the number of people who comment to solemnly inform you that those two photos the same. Maybe this explains how these ads are able to make a profit in the first place.Dog Canine Training